More Teens Choosing Liquor over Beer?

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Startling research, published today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shows that more teens are drinking hard liquor than beer. This is a huge victory for liquor marketers. But it is scary and ominous news for parents and public health professionals, who should rightly be concerned by the liquor industryís successful campaign to make booze more attractive to kids.

And it certainly hasnít helped that ads for these products are showing up in ever greater numbers on cable television, and not just at night. The convenience and concealability of liquor has always appealed to teens. But letís face itóhard liquor has gone from country clubs and biker bars to proms and playgrounds.

Before companies like Diageo starts putting Hello Kitty or Barbie on gin and vodka, federal regulators, Congress, and state legislators need to take a fresh look at the availability, marketing, and taxation of liquor and other alcoholic beverages.